following the footprints
by BatMan3Robin
Summary: Zhen Bai is the younger sister of Zhen Ji. She grew up in her older sister's shadow and never dreamed of anything more than to follow in her footsteps, but when she meets the old man Zuo Ci her life is changed and seems to have stopped suddenly. Will Zhen Bai continue to follow her sister's footsteps or will she find a different path in the land of Wu or Shu? Guan Suo X OC X Lu Xun
1. Meeting Zuo Ci

**Meeting Zuo Ci**

"Bai, get your things together now. Cao Cao is attacking" Zhen Ji sighed as she rushed her younger sister out of the bedroom with a flute in her hands. A small smirk caressed her face as Zhen Bai gripped a small broken wooden flute that was like a hand me down in her family. "My sister… today is your first fight, no?" Zhen ji questioned with curiosity as Zhen Bai nodded her head slowly.

"It is… and I'm very nervous. Are you sure your husband Yuan Xi's troops are strong?" she questioned as she slid open a door and exited outside with her older sister following behind with a look of annoyance on her face. "Of course! My husband is the strongest general this world has to see! Don't question him anymore, Bai" Zhen Ji scolded as she wagged her heavy medal flute at her sister. Making their way over to a cottage full of horses, Zhen Ji took the privilege of taking the strong, young white horse.

"Bai, the battle should be in north. About twelve miles from here I suppose" Zhen Ji said as she read from a piece of paper in her hands, struggling to read the messy hand writing. After several attempts to jump onto a brown, old horse Bai finally got on and wiped the sweat from her brow. "Does your husband know we will be joining him on the battle field?" she questioned as she squeezed her thighs and guided the horse out of the cottage with her sister behind.

"No, I plan to surprise him. He'll be thankful we came, or well, that I came."

"But, Ji… we might just be in the way, don't you think?"

Pausing in surprise, Zhen Ji huffed angrily and rushed her horse in front of Bai. "You! Shut up. I'm never in the way when I rush to my husband's side!" she shouted as she blocked the way of her sister's horse. Smacking the brown old horse with her medal flute, Zhen Ji then pointed her weapon at Bai, much to her younger sister's surprisment.

"Hold your tongue – I don't want to hear a single word come out of that foul mouth of yours."

Gripping the raggedy brown rope that helped guide her horse, Bai nodded her head and squeezed her thighs tighter, making her horse break out into a dash that couldn't even be compared to the speed of her sister's horse. Lowering her head as wind scrapped her face and hair whipping her face. She didn't get a chance to say good bye to her parents, what if something were to happen and would make Zhen Bai wish she said some last words to her mother and father?

Hearing the sounds of men screaming, Zhen Bai noticed as her sister guided her horse through the crowd of men panting from the battle they just won.

"You, men, you are Yuan Xi's troops?" Zhen Ji questioned as the soldiers blinked their eyes and dropped down on their knees, bowing deeply and repeatedly. "Our majesty!" the peasant soldiers panted, as Zhen Ji's pride grew more.

"Your husband not be here this moment. He heard of the distress from a nearby comrade and went to go help" a soldier said out of breath as he dared not look Bai's older sister in the eye.

"He's… not here?" Zhen Ji questioned in anger, as Bai watched from behind as she unleashed her anger onto the poor man standing before her. "You fool, how dare you let my husband go without troops to help a comrade! He could be dead" Zhen Ji screamed as she slammed her heavy flute onto the man's head, but he didn't scream in pain, he went out silently as the other men watched in horror.

"All of you get out of my way before I unleash my wrath on you all!" Bai's sister screeched as the men scattered the field, leaving the two sisters alone.

Jumping off her horse, Zhen Bai sighed and shook her head as her old brown horse dropped down for a rest. "Ji, you shouldn't have sent those men away, we might get ambushed by the enemy…" Bai whispered as she watched her sister breathe in and out violently. "Be quiet" Zhen Ji muttered as she jumped off her horse and began stroking it softly on its head. "What should we do now?" Bai questioned as she sat beside her horse as it snoozed away.

"Fight."

"What?"

"Stand up, Bai. A man seems to have taken the idea that he can easily come into our presence as we did to those idiot peasant soldiers" Zhen Ji said highly as she flashed her flute, to show she wasn't all just looks… she could fight too.

Bai slowly stood up as ordered and eyed the strangely handsome man that had a dangerous and cocky look. "Who are you?" Bai questioned as she took a step forward, but still standing in her sister's shadow.

"What? How can a brat come to be with this young flower on this battle field?" the man questioned as he ran a hand through his dark slight spiky hair. Bai quickly blushed and spotted the double sword in the man's right hand. "Sister, stand back… he has a weapon…" Bai whispered as Zhen Ji looked over her shoulder, "of course he does. That is the first thing I noticed" she whispered as Bai blushed again and then lowered her head in shame… she was so slow.

"Oh, you are this flower's sister?" the man questioned as Bai nearly gagged at the name flower Zhen ji seemed to have gotten. "I've expected you long enough. It seems you are not a comrade…" Zhen Ji sighed as she raised her flute.

"It's true. I'm not. I'm the son of Cao Cao… I'm Cao Pi… your soon to be husband" Cao Pi spoke to Zhen Ji, as she squirmed slightly, something Bai has never seen her older sister do.

Lowering her head, Zhen Ji grinded her teeth, "why you…" she whispered venomously. Blinking her eyes, Zhen Bai jumped in front of her sister and pointed her broken wooden flute at Cao Pi. "I won't allow you to speak such words to my older sister!" she shouted as Zhen Ji looked down at her sister with a slight smirk. "Prove to me you can fight, Bai" Ji highly spoke as she turned her back and to the fight.

Blinking his eyes, Cao Pi smirked also and pointed his sword at Zhen Bai, "that pathetic flute cannot protect you from my blade" he sighed as he took a step forward Bai, ready to strike, but Bai pressed the flute to her lips and eyed the man. "You plan to play horrible music? Is that what will show me my place?" Cao Pi questioned with laughter as ran at the girl but then his eyes widened as sakura peddles danced in the air and scrapped his face, causing him to flinch and swing his sword violently at them. Jumping back from the peddles that surrounded him, Cao Pi wiped his cheek from the blood of his cuts and smirked. "So, you are a user of the Muso?" he questioned as Bai lowered her flute from her lips. Zhen Ji watched closely as she watched Cao Pi laugh to himself quietly. "What a coincidence… I happen to be master at it too, although… mine is different from yours and a lot more stronger" Cao Pi chuckled as he jumped through the dancing sakura peddles, ignoring the stinging pain, and finally reaching Zhen Bai who gasped in shock and dropped to her knees to dodge the ice wave Cao Pi sent her way with a single and swift swing of his sword.

Blocking a hit from Cao Pi's sword with her flute, Bai struggled against his strength as he pushed the edge of his sword to her face. Grinding her teeth, she kicked him off of her and quickly got up to her feet, taking necessary steps back as Cao Pi stared at her with pity in his eyes.

"You do not fully know how to control you Muso, do you? You can only call forth it for simple weak attacks, not style it into your own weapon of mass destruction" he laughed as Zhen Ji huffed in anger and stomped over to Bai, pushing her back.

"Stand back, I'll show this fool what a true Muso power looks like! Not some pathetic ice that can melt" she a snarled as Bai gripped her wooden flute dumbly. "Y-yes" she whispered as she stood back and watch Cao Pi lunge at Zhen Ji, but she quickly pressed her medal, heavy, elegant looking flute to her lips.

Cao Pi widened as his body felt like it was being lifted and pushed back then lifted again then thrown across the ground. Standing on his knees as he clenched his right arm, because he landed on it, Cao Pi got up slowly and smirked. "I'm tired of this silly fighting. I'm going to end this fight now and take you as my bride" he shouted as he lunged at Bai's sister, but Zhen Ji clashed weapons with Cao Pi and got pushed back from the impact when Cao Pi used his Muso to create a fragile shield ice.

"What dirty tricks!" Zhen Ji screamed as she held her flute like a sword and rushed at Cao Pi who simply stepped aside when Zhen Ji tried to strike him, but ended up missing and falling onto her knees roughly. Zhen Bai gasped and was about to run over to her sister when Cao Pi pressed the tip of his sword onto her sister's back.

"Stand back, Zhen Bai. Your sister has lost and she is my bride" he laughed as Zhen Ji panted like a dog.

"What is your name?" Cao Pi questioned as he looked down at his new bride. Breathing hard, Zhen Ji refused to answer, making the victorious man smirk and shake his head disappointed. "I don't marry women who are nameless. I suppose I'll have to kill you like a dog" he whispered as he was about to execute Ji, but Bai panicked and screamed.

"Her name! Her name is Zhen Ji! Please, Cao Pi, please, don't kill her… she was just too tired to answer you" Bai wept as Cao Pi smirked and picked up his bride, holding her bridal style. "I knew you would tell me. Like, I would murder a flower such as herself, although you… I would do it in a second" he laughed as Zhen Ji was placed on her white horse. Pausing for a second, Cao Pi walked over to Bai's brown old horse and stoked its head carefully, "I shouldn't let you go on living in this condition… it would be inhumane" he murmured as he decapitated the horse as Bai screamed in shock. Casually walking back over to the white horse where Zhen Ji sat on tiredly, he dragged it away.

"If you follow us I'll kill you."

Dropping to her knees, Bai watched as her sister was led away. "Z-Zhen Ji…" she wept as tears flowed down her cheeks, but she wiped them away and quickly jumped up, running past her headless horse and back to her home, where her parents were.

"Wah, I'm so lost!" Bai cried as she walked through the mountains, holding herself as wind hit her body, making her shiver.

"Dragging her feet as she struggled to follow the horse prints that were printed into the damp soil, Bai looked at the sky and felt her eyes begin to water up again. She barely had any energy to walk; she used most of it to fight off pesky wolves that were thinking she was just a walking dinner. Sniffing back snot, Bai found sanctuary at a cave nearby. Leaning her back against the rocky wall, she held her wooden flute in her hands and felt her shoulders shake.

"I… I wish my Muso was strong enough to beat Cao Pi… If I did… Zhen Ji and I would be with Yuan Xi by now…" she whispered to herself as her sister's image flashed in her head along with Yuan Xi.

"Mom and Dad are probably angry or worried right now…"

"Yuan Xi would kill me if I returned home somehow…"

"My life sucks right now!" Zhen Bai wailed as she failed to notice the figure of a man that entered the cave.

"If you keep on crying like that, wolves will hear you and eat you" the man muttered in a cracked, but wise like voice as he stood in the shadows, blocking his face. Standing up, Bai stared as hope began to fuel her up.

"Mr, can you possibly help me find a way back home?" Bai questioned as the man chuckled.

"No, your family is an old enemy of mine and that would include you, Zhen Bai." The man spoke in a calm voice.

"Oh, um, they're my enemy too?"

"Fool! I mean you're my enemy also!"

Blinking her eyes, Bai held out her flute and stared at it. "How do you know my name and my family?" she questioned as the man cackled.

"I heard you crying a mile away. That is why I said you should stop crying because the wolves will hear you" the man said as he stepped out of the shadows, revealing his old and wrinkled face.

"My name is Zuo Ci. I'm your enemy" he said as Bai blinked her eyes and leaned against the rocky wall of the cave. "You know my name already, but I don't want to be an enemy of yours" she whispered as Zuo Ci chuckled and walked over to her. "Your family is selfish, unworthy of all the wealth they posses, but do I sense a difference in you? Are you not your sisters splitting image of a rotten woman with pounds of beauty?" the old man questioned as Bai looked away. "I don't think so… I'm not beautiful like Zhen Ji… Cao Pi… her husband told me earlier today" Bai muttered as her face sank, Cao Pi was a bastard. Now for the rest of her life she would know herself as the ugly younger sister of the beautiful Zhen Ji.

"I sense you're not, but you have to pay for your families bad ties with me" Zuo Ci said as he placed a hand on Bai's forehead.

"I don't think I should…" she whispered as the old man chuckled and smiled warmly. "Your punishment shall be bad and it shall be good. You will outlive your loved ones and survive every injury someone or yourself shall ever inflict onto your body" he muttered as Bai blinked her eyes.

"Sounds like you're giving me eternal life…"

"I am. I can only give it once and now seems to be the perfect time. God has really looked down at me today" Zuo Ci murmured as his hands glowed and gave a stinging pain to Bai's forehead.

"Be different from your family. From your sister… and life shall treat you with the respect your family lacked to do."

"Wu will be your place holder and your home where your heart shall lay. I wish you good luck Zhen Bai."

Feeling all energy leaking from his hand, Zuo Ci dropped it quickly and watched as Zhen Bai dropped to the floor. Sighing as he dragged the former decapitated horse over to the girl, the old man stroked its head and smiled. "Your owner will be surprised to see you alive when she wakes up. Take her to Wu for me; I have not the energy anymore" Zuo Ci said to the horse as it looked at him dumbly with big chocolate brown eyes.

"Yes… I'm talking to a horse now… how life has ruined me…"


	2. Entering lands of Wu

**Entering the lands of Wu**

"It's amazing how Zuo Ci brought you back to life…" Zhen Bai whispered as she ran a hand over her former decapitated horses head. Sighing as she rode on top of her horse, Zhen Bai pressed her finger tips on the bags under her eyes. "I wonder how Zhen Ji is doing right now…" she murmured to herself as her heart started pounding with the fear that she might never see her sister again.

"Do you think she is okay?" Zhen Bai questioned as she leaned over her horse and glanced at its long brown face, but the horse continued looking forward as it dragged its feet lazily into the green forest. "Yeah, I don't think you like her much…" Bai murmured as the horse sneezed, but it looked like more of a nod as if the horse was actually saying 'yes'.

"Old man Zuo Ci said something about going to Wu… It's all a bit foggy and I can't really remember all the words he was saying, but it was something around that," Bai murmured as the horse gave another sneeze, but again it looked like a nod.

"Do you think it's a good idea to go to Wu? It'll be as if I'm betraying the Yuan family… although, it would be the same with Zhen Ji, wouldn't it? Because she's now part of the Cao family," Bai murmured as the horse shook its head as if it was saying no this time, but it was trying to make the flies around its head move away.

"Me and Zhen Ji would be enemies now… wouldn't we?"

The horse sneezed again.

Bai sighed and slumped her shoulders over in frustration. "I promise to grow stronger, and when I do… I'll, I'll take Zhen Ji back!" she shouted to herself as she pumped her hand into the air in determination, but she lost her balance on the horse and fell over sideways ungracefully. Landing on her shoulder, Bai heard a crunch and her eyes twitched as she felt pain shoot up her arm. Forcing herself up with one arm, Bai glared at her horse as it took the pleasure in sitting down and resting as it watched Bai who started to tear up.

Limping over to her horse, Bai rubbed her bottom and tugged at her horse's leash. "Stand up, horse" Bai commanded with a cracked voice, but the horse sneezed, blowing snot into Bai's heart shaped face. "W-why you!" she gasped as she wiped the snot off her face and glared furiously at the horse, getting the ideas of cutting it off like Cao Pi, but not out of sympathy like the prince of chaos, but more like out of anger. Taking out her wooden flute, Zhen Bai nearly hit the horse, but an arrow shot passed her head and her head and hit a tree in front of her, stopping Bai from hitting the horse.

"WAH! DON'T KILL ME!"

"Hold still, trespasser!"

Flinching as another arrow shot past her head, Zhen Bai glared and waved her flute at the men dressed in a uniform of red. "I'm not even moving! Stop shooting at me, jerks!" she screamed as a burst of courage filled up in her body.

Breathing in hard as the archers took steps closer to her, Bai took a closer look of the red uniforms.

"You… er, you guys are from Wu?"

"Of course we are!" an archer shouted as he was now close enough to poke Bai with his bow and arrow. Taking a step back, Bai held her hands up and sighed.

"I'm not really a trespasser. I am Zhen Bai… I was hoping to find some work in the military; _at least I was hoping that was what old man Zuo Ci meant_..." Bai whispered, but one of the archers glared at her.

"What was that last part you said, girl?"

"N-nothing, but, please I really want to join you guys… so can you take me to your ruler or something?" Bai asked nicely, but the archers laughed and shook their head. "Who do you think you are? A royal?" the archers questioned, but Zhen Bai glared.

"I am from the Zhen family."

"You are from the Zhen family? So, you must be related to Zhen Ji… the new wife of Cao Pi! That makes you our enemy since your family is now friends with the Cao family!" the archers screamed as they pressed an arrow against Zhen Bai's head.

"I-I am not the enemy! My family might be, but not me!" Bai sobbed as she dropped to her knees with her hands on the back of her head. Feeling cold sweat slide down the side of her forehead. Zhen Bai dared herself to look at the archers in the eyes, but then her horse stood up shakily and nudged the arrow away from her head. Lowering their bows and arrows, the archers stared at the horse dumbly, copying the look the horse was making.

"Just kill the beast, it's too old…"

Glaring at the archers, Bai snatched her flute and brought it to her lips. Sure, she was just going to hit her horse, but killing it was another thing and she wasn't going to allow some Wu archers go and make the decision to kill it.

Watching with narrowed eyes as sakura peddles danced in the air and scraped against the archers bodies, Bai dropped her flute from her lips and smacked the archers with it, landing fatal blows on them.

Breathing in heavily from the exercise, Bai looked down at the archers as they lay on the ground unconscious. Feeling her body go tense as something hard and cold was pressed against her back, Bai turned her head slowly and a man with a medium skin tone and developing beard came into view.

"Heya, sorry, but, I can't let you get away with harming my troops like that" the man laughed lightly, and from observing him Bai could easily tell he was somewhere in his early twenties, and it wasn't so hard to see that this guy is attractive.

"U-uh, they were going to… kill my horse… I couldn't let them do that, _future husband_."

"Uh-huh, and I couldn't help, but hear that you wanted to join Wu, well, we can't recruit just anybody who goes around picking fights with allies" the man laughed as he lowered his weapon. Bai now realized it was a tonfa. Turning to face the man, Bai looked away shamefully, "forgive me, but I hope it isn't too much to ask right now after I just harmed your men, but can you please take me to your ruler!" Bai begged as she dropped to her knees and bowed her head so low that it was touching the moist soil of the forest.

"Geez, don't bow like that! You'll get bugs in your hair" the man said meekly as he scratched the side of his face and looked away with a red cheeks. Lifting up her head, Bai looked up at him then at the unconscious archers.

"If I help you bring the men to some medical help will you take me to your ruler?" Bai questioned as she got up from her knees and started for the archers, but the man grabbed her shoulder. "Hey, I'm not making any promises that you will join because of your actions, but I'll try because I saw you fighting and not a lot of women let alone men can summon up their Muso like yours" the man said as Bai threw one of the archer's arms around her shoulder and lifted him up.

"Thank you, um…"

"Sun Ce."

"Oh, yes, Sun Ce… thank you…" Bai whispered as Sun Ce lifted up the other archer and grabbed the leash to Bai's horse and started down a path of crushed leafs and scattered flowers.

"So, your name is Zhen Bai? I heard when my troops were questioning you."

Marching through a fairly big city, Zhen Bai watched with curious eyes as citizens in the city took their time to go and bow to Sun Ce, even though he would kindly tell them to not do such a thing. Tilting her head, Bai tightened her grip on the archer and quickened her pace so that she was walking beside Sun Ce.

"You are a royal, aren't you?" she questioned with surprise as Sun Ce turned his head and scratched his cheek nervously. "I guess you can say something like that… but, really I'm just a regular guy, you know. I beat bad guys, protect my tiny wife, just the normal things any guy would do, really," Ce chuckled as he led Bai into a tent on the far side of the city where most of the military stuff happens.

Laying the archers on a bed, Bai and Ce paused for a moment and looked at each other.

"Er, so… tell me about yourself, Zhen Bai."

Blinking her eyes as Ce chuckled, Bai began twiddling her fingers. "My sister is Zhen Ji… I haven't seen her in a year, I think… I'm not skilled, but I can use Muso and-"

"I figured out most of that stuff when we were walking over here, Zhen Bai! Tell me something that would make me want you to join the Wu army" Ce exclaimed as Bai tilted her in confusion, not knowing what exactly to say. Looking around the room, Bai thought of the fuzzy words Zuo Ci had told her.

"I… want to be different from my sister. _I think_... If I join Wu I might be able to make my own foot prints instead of following the hollow ones my sister has made and is still making" Bai answered, but Ce furrowed his eyebrows, making Bai sweat.

"You're in."

"Huh?"

"You. Are. In, Zhen Bai."

Feeling relief run through her body, Bai gave a smile, but her victory in starting a different path of her sister was short lived when she realized something.

"Y-you are the ruler? The ruler of Wu?"

"You bet! Nice to have you in the lion's den, Zhen Bai! Hahaha."

Zhen Bai blinked her eyes and bowed her head to Sun Ce, much to the man's disapproval. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY!" Zhen Bai screamed as Ce flinched and pressed a hand against the girl's mouth and put a finger to his lips, "cool it, Bai!" he whispered, then petite men with long beards that appeared to be advisors rushed into the tent with scrolls in their hands.

"Lord Sun Ce, we've been searching for you for ages!"

"U-uh, oh…" Sun Ce whispered as his shoulders slumped and his hand dropped from Zhen Bai's mouth as he began walking out of the tent, following the advisors. Turning back to look at Bai, Ce furrowed his eyebrows and gave a quick salute.

"I was hoping to give you a quick rundown on how things work around here, but I guess I'll have someone else do it for me. Look for a boy your age named Lu Xun in the market place, he'll show you around and tell you how things work around here" Ce said as he turned his head and looked forward, but then suddenly he stopped and looked back at Bai, "you also need to register as a citizen, Lu Xun will help you with that also" Ce sighed as he was now out of the tent leaving Bai with the wounded archers who would groan quietly.

Taking in a deep breath, Bai smiled to herself and marched out of the tent, leaving the archers and her horse that was tied up outside the tent.

_Mom, Dad, Zhen Ji…_

_I think I found a place different from yours. It's too early for me to tell if this is the place where I really belong, but I'll have to wait and see._

_I won't be following your foot prints anymore, sister._

_I'm making my own._


	3. Meeting Lu Xun

**Meeting Lu Xun**

"Lu Xun! Where are you?" Zhen Bai sang out of tune as she walked down the market place with her hands swinging happily. She was now part of the Wu army, she never thought it would be so easy to join, the Yuan family was much different from the way Sun Ce handled things here. Yuan Shao from Zhen Bai's perspective was a man who was selfish and expected only the best; including brides for his sons and the best soldiers even the peasant soldiers had to meet some standards.

Stopping in front of a male who looked the same age as Bai, the girl tapped his shoulder and waited for him to turn around. The boy turned around and gave Bai a mean look, "what do you want?" he growled as Bai flinched and forced a smile on her face.

"A-a-are you… Lu Xun?"

"And if I was?"

Bai blinked her eyes and inspected the boy, he had horrible body odor, and he was bigger than most boys his age—would Sun Ce really send Bai to someone like this to go help her with something important? This guy didn't look reliable…

"Hey, broad, you listening to me?" the boy questioned Bai in an annoyed tone, causing people around them to look at them with curious stares, a particular boy who held a calm face and happens to be the same age as Bai and the horrible ogre boy with bad body odor stepped closer to the two and looked like he was about to jump between Bai and the ogre.

"Excuse me?" Bai questioned as she shot a glare at the ogre who bared his yellow ragged teeth. "You can't talk to me like that!" Bai shouted as she brought her face closer to the boy's who didn't move an inch. Eyeing Bai with a twitching eye, the ogre boy grabbed Bai's hand and gripped it tightly making the girl flinch and try to pull away, but the ogre just gripped her tighter not even caring about the crowd of people that stared at them.

"Let go of my before I hit you with my flute!"

"I have something more dangerous than a stupid flute."

Quickly slipping out a knife with his spare hand out of his shirt, the ogre pressed it against Bai's wrist had enough to make her bleed. Gasping at the sharp pain, Bai tried pulling away, but the ogre tightened his grip even harder and smirked at her.

"S-someone h-help ME!" Bai screeched as she began to slam her free hand on the boy who didn't even flinch from the contact. Looking back at the people around, Bai made eye contact with a boy who held a shocked face and rush over to her, trying to separate Bai from the ogre who was determined to cut the girl's hand off.

"STOP, YOU HORRIBLE SMELLING BOY!"

"Let her go!" the boy shouted as he ripped the ogre boy apart from Bai, but the ogre managed to land a deep cut on Bai's wrist just as the calm façade boy pulled Bai away from him. Kicking the ogre away from them, the boy with the calm façade held Bai and watched as Wu soldiers rush to the ogre boy and drag him away and then calmly tell the crowd to go continue what they were doing.

"Are you okay, Lu Xun?" a soldier questioned the boy who held a sobbing snot blowing Bai in his arms. Lu Xun looked down at Bai and then at the soldier and nodded his head, "yes, thank you for your help. I'll handle things from here now" Lu Xun said as he dragged Bai away to a medical center.

"BYE CRUEL WORLD!"

"YOU TREATED ME UNFAIRLY EVEN THOUGH I WAS MORE KIND THAN MY FAMILY!"

"SCREW YOU CAO PI!"

Blinking his eyes, Lu Xun looked down at Bai with a curious look and shook her until she finally looked up at him. "What? I'm dying! Can't you let a pathetic girl like me say a few words?" Bai questioned as she stared at Lu Xun's face, but her eyes wandered and she noticed she was in a tent, but what seemed to be filled with medical supplies.

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice that you screamed Cao Pi's name… are you acquainted with him?" Lu Xun questioned as he sat Bai at a bench. "Acquainted with him? Please! He's my brother in law!" Bai shouted in anger as Lu Xun backed away from Bai and narrowed his eyes at her, causing the girl to tilt her head in confusion.

"What?"

"That means you are linked with the Cao family! Just who exactly are you?" Lu Xun questioned as Bai threw her hands up and twitched nervously at the hostile aurora Lu Xun was making. "I am Zhen Bai! Sister of Zhen Ji! I-I came to join Wu… U-uh… Sun Ce told me to find Lu Xun and have him—OH MY GOD! LOOK AT MY WRIST!" Bai shouted as she quickly forgot what she was saying and focused on her amazing wrist that the ogre cut.

Blinking his eyes and staring at Bai, Lu Xun stepped closer to her and looked down at her wrist and was surprised to see that there wasn't a cut or even the tiniest amount of blood. Looking at Bai now, Lu Xun stared at her and watched as her face changed emotions rapidly from happy to shock to curiosity. "I saw him cut you… your blood is still on my hand from when he cut you…" Lu Xun muttered as he looked at his hand that had Bai's dried up blood.

"Well! You were hallucinating you freak! I need to find Lu Xun!" Bai shouted out as she jumped up from the bench and pushed pass Lu Xun, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back before she could exit the tent.

"I could have sworn you were cut, but I'll put that aside for now and tell you I am Lu Xun."

"Oh, well, that was easy…"

Nodding his head, Lu Xun bowed and sat Bai at a bench and continued to question her about the link to the Cao family. "I've heard of your sister, but it confuses me why you want to join the Wu army and not the Wei…" Lu Xun said as Bai scratched her head nervously. "Um, Cao Pi doesn't like me… he'd cut off my head or something… then I met this old guy and he told me to join Wu… I got lost along the way here though…" the girl growled as her face quickly dropped to a frown, remembering what happened. Lu Xun stared and crossed his arms as Bai started smiling again. This girl is crazy Lu Xun thought as he stared at Bai with a questionable look on his face, but he sighed and shook his head.

"Why did Master Sun Ce send you to me?"

"Well, I guess I need a run down on stuff and I'm not a citizen so I need help on being registered. Sun Ce was going to help me with that, but these skinny men in robes took him away…" Bai muttered as Lu Xun blinked his eyes and chuckled. "Those skinny men have been looking for Master Sun Ce so he can do some paper work. Master Sun Ce has been avoiding them for some time now," Lu Xun laughed as Bai blinked her eyes and looked away guilty as she realized her loud voice is what brought those skinny men to Ce.

"I feel bad now…"

"What?"

"Oh, nothing! So, can you help me, Lu Xun?"

Nodding his head reluctantly, Lu Xun helped Bai up and led her outside the tent. Eyeing Bai's uncut wrist Lu Xun couldn't help, but feel suspicious of the girl linked with the Cao family, but if Sun Ce trusts this girl enough to make her a member of the Wu army then he won't say anything.


	4. An absurd training exercise

**An absurd training exercise**

"Sun Ce… do you think this is necessary?"

"Of course, Zhou Yu!" Sun Ce shouted as he along with his sworn brother and actual brother Sun Quan stood on an archers post. All three of them looked down at Zhen Bai as she stood below with her flute gripped with both hands like a sword. Shaking from fear of what's coming, Bai looked up at Sun Ce and gave him a look of distress, but Ce merely laughed and put both hands on his hips, "if you want to join the Wu army then you have to do this exercise! Well, peasant soldiers don't have to do this, but you're not a peasant are you Zhen Bai?" Ce questioned as the girl shook in fear.

Looking around her surroundings, Bai noticed that this was a recently used battle site due to the horse prints in the mud and scattered armor along with swords and broken arrows. Quickly looking up at Sun Ce, Bai noticed the grin on his face and quickly spotted Lu Xun who rushed across the dead battle field and over to the archers post where the three men stood at.

"Wait! Lu Xun! What's happening?" Bai yelled as she ran at Xun and grabbed onto his leg as he climbed up the ladder of the archers post. Looking down at Bai with pity, Lu Xun wiggled his leg free of her grasp and continued climbing until he reached to the top where Sun Quan helped him up.

"Preparations were made my lord."

"Ah! Thanks, Lu Xun!" Sun Ce laughed as he looked at Zhou Yu with a grin, but the strategist did not return the grin, he just sighed and looked down at Bai with a look of pity like Lu Xun and Sun Quan.

"Zhen Bai, your exercise will have you collecting these pouches," Zhou Yu said as he threw down a small silk pouch that hit Bai on the head. "Each pouch counts as ten points and you have to score at least hundred points in ten minutes… If you get more then you'll pass to the next exercise and if you pass the next exercise you'll be ranked a base guard" Zhou Yu said as Bai held the silk pouch in her hand and opened it up to find an onion.

"How many pouches do I have to collect to reach hundred?"

Sun Quan shook his head and this time spoke to Bai, "just collect pouches and don't get hit…" he muttered, but Bai couldn't hear. "Since I have this pouch does it count as ten points already?" Bai questioned as she held up the silk pouch Zhou Yu threw at her. Her question wasn't answered and Lu Xun threw up his hand for some signal.

"Unleash the horses!"

"What?"

Turning her head as she watched men on horses charge at her, Bai flinched and felt another silk pouch hit her on the head. Looking up at Sun Ce, Bai frowned and Zhou Yu spoke again, "We'll be throwing the pouches and you have to collect them. Try your best to avoid the horses, Zhen Bai…" Zhou Yu sighed as Sun Quan threw a silk pouch that landed a few feet away from Bai. Taking a deep breath Bai ran at the pouch, but a horse rammed into the side of Bai and sent her tumbling away. Gasping as the breath was knocked out of her Bai stood on her knees and wiped away drool that spilled down her lips.

"I'm worried, brother… this training exercise disabled a lot of potential soldiers before this girl…" Sun Quan muttered as he threw a silk pouch at Bai and watched as she quickly grabbed it and stuffed it down her shirt for safe keeping.

"Don't worry, Quan! This girl is strong! She'll make it" Sun Ce laughed as he threw a pouch that landed far away from Bai. Watching as the girl scrambled for the pouch and grab it, Ce flinched as a horse rammed into her, making her fly away and land on her face.

"I think she'll be okay… look she's getting up" Ce laughed nervously as Zhou Yu shook his head when Bai was sent flying across the used battle field again. Throwing a pouch that hit Bai on the head again, Zhou Yu began to feel pity for the girl and drop pouches purposely near the girl when Sun Ce wasn't looking.

"T-That horse… I -it just sent Bai into the air!"

"AHHH! I'M SICK OF THIS BULLSHIT!" Bai shouted as she slapped a horse with her flute, causing the man who rode on the horse to glare and hit Bai with the butt of his sword.

Giving a quick glare, Bai pressed her flute to her lips and narrowed her eyes at a horse that began to run at her. Watching as sakura peddles danced in the air and scrap the horses, Bai was now alone on the battle field with no horses to bother her because they were scared off.

"Is that cheating?"

"Well, you didn't say the girl couldn't use Muso. She's impressive…"

Quickly collecting the rest of the pouches scattered on the ground, Bai rushed over to the archers post and looked up at Sun Ce with a bruised and swollen face. "I collected them, Ce! Do I pass?" Bai questioned as she started to sway and trip over her own feet. Quickly climbing down the latter, Lu Xun rushed over to Zhen Bai and caught her before she could fall over.

"Woah! Nice timing, Lu Xun!" Ce cheered as he also climbed down the latter after Zhou Yu and Sun Quan. "Is she alright?" Quan asked as he kneeled down next to Lu Xun and Bai, Zhou Yu did the same along with Sun Ce.

"I believe she is… she just needs rest and a few days to heal from all the wounds…" Lu Xun muttered as he remembered about the cut on Bai's wrist that magically healed days ago. Sun Ce tilted his head and gave Lu Xun a skeptical look, "I'm no doctor, but it looks like it'll take more than a few days for her to heal. Those horses hit her in the side, her ribs could also be broken…" he muttered as Zhou Yu shook his head, "in all respect, Sun Ce… you took this too far! Zhen Bai passed this exercise, but from all the wounds the horses inflicted on her she might not even be able to join the Wu army like you promised…" the strategist exclaimed as Lu Xun looked down at Bai and took notice that her breathing was normal and her bruises seemed to have started to yellow.

"She'll be fine… trust me."

Staring at Lu Xun, the three men looked at each other and then back at the young boy who held a slowly healing Bai in his arms.

"Alright… we'll trust you."

**What? Zhen Bai is injured? Tragic... but the handsome young Lu Xun seemed to have saved her from falling to the ground! Lu Xun is still suspicious about her wound on her wrist magically disappearing and suspects that the injury's she received from the asshole horses will magically disappear also!**

**Tune in next time~**


	5. It's like magic

**It's like magic!**

Biting into a loaf of bread given to her by Lu Xun, Zhen Bai sat comfortably in her bed and watched as the boy sit next to her give a skeptical look towards the girl.

"What?" Bai questioned as crumbs dirtied her face. Pausing for a moment, Lu Xun rubbed his thumb over the corners of Bai's lips and ignored the blushing face she made, hesitating to speak the strategist sighed and looked at Bai with a confused face, "your wounds from the horses… they healed… over night…" he said as Bai shrugged her shoulders and lifted up her red blouse to show a small bruise on his ribs.

"Not that one. Lu Xun, I know you're trying to tell me something, but I don't know what…" Bai whispered as Lu Xun pulled her shirt back down and gave the girl another skeptical look. "You're not… surprised that you healed so fast from yesterday? Those horses pummeled you into oblivion! Most of the men who took that test have been killed or paralyzed and they suffered from the same amount of damage you received—"

"Get to the point…"

Lu Xun paused for a second and sighed, "You cannot be healing so fast from wounds that bad! That ogre boy who cut you other day—I saw him cut you, I had the blood on my hands, but the cut wasn't there… you can't be human…" he whispered as Bai looked down at her wrist and nodded, "your right… he did cut me and I felt it, but I don't think I'm anything else, but human…" Lu Xun furrowed his eyebrows and leaned closer to Bai and stared at her face, "has it always been like this? You just healing quickly from any wound?" the straightest questioned as Bai shook her head.

"This healing stuff has only been happing recently from what I noticed. When I was still part of the Yuan family with my sister I never healed so quickly… OH! Like this one time Yuan Xi threw his shoe at my face when he was aiming for a servant! My face was swollen for weeks and my sister teased how it would stay that way and I would never get a man…" Bai muttered as Xun frowned. "What about after you left the Yuan family? Did anything strange happen?" Lu Xun asked, Bai shrugged her shoulders, "I would have gone back if I wasn't lost to tell the truth, but I met this old man named Zuo Ci and then… it gets foggy…" she whispered as she tried to remember what exactly happened.

"Try to remember…"

"Zuo Ci told me about how he is enemies with my family… something about a punishment that would be good and bad… then my horse's face pops up out of nowhere… what I can really remember though is that he told me to be different from my family and that Wu would be my place holder…"

Nodding his head, Lu Xun slid off Bai's bed and paced her room until he snapped his fingers and grinned. "I've heard of Zuo Ci! He specializes in witchcraft… I'll be right back" the strategist exclaimed as he dashed out the room and ran off to a library, leaving Bai alone with a confused face.

"Geez, that kid Lu Xun almost knocked me over!" Sun Ce exclaimed as he walked into Bai's room followed by Sun Quan. Smiling brightly, Bai scratched her head nervously as Ce and Quan were at the sides of her bed. "How are you feeling, Zhen Bai?" Quan asked as shot a frown at his brother Ce when he started patting roughly on Bai's back, making the girl's head bob.

"I-I've been healing nicely I think—"

"Gooood! You can make it to tomorrow's battle then!" Ce shouted as Lu Xun rushed into the room with a book in his hands.

"Zhen Bai, you're immortal!"

"Huh?"

"What are you talking about, Lu Xun?"

Quickly bowing his head to his lord Sun Ce, Lu Xun walked over to Bai and placed the book on her lap and pointed to a paragraph, "There is a magical act in this book that can give people immortality. Only the ones with the most knowledge and strength in witchcraft can perform this act, Bai" Lu Xun said as he eyed the girl as she studied the paragraph, acting like she could read it when really she couldn't. Swiping the book from Bai's lap, Ce stared at it and tossed it to Quan for him to do the same, "that's nice and all, but why is this important?" Quan asked as he set the book down.

"The man who told Bai to come join Wu was Zuo Ci, a powerful man in witchcraft who can do exactly this!"

"And?"

"He gave Bai immortality and that is why she has healed so quickly from yesterday!"

Bai tapped her chin and recalled hearing the word immortality from the time with Zuo Ci, but didn't say anything… she just watched as Ce and Quan stare at Lu Xun with eyes wide as the moon.

"Ah yeah! You're definitely coming tomorrow to the battle field, Bai and as a part of my fraction!" Ce cheered as Quan frowned, "Brother, you already have strong men to guard you! I believe I need Bai with me!"

Ignoring the rants between the two Sun brothers, and the intrigued look of fascination Lu Xun gave her, Bai felt a uneasiness as she thought about the battle tomorrow.

**The girl who had been looked down upon by Cao Pi by not being as strong or beautiful as her older sister Zhen Ji is now the most wanted soldier Sun Ce and Sun Quan could dream for. However the fascination Lu Xun could has for Zhen Bai could only be that she is immortal, but the only thing that could be on her mind is what will happen at tomorrow's battle.**


End file.
